Some Nigerian parents have stated that their children only know wild animals from textbooks because zoos where the animals can be seen live are disappearing.
The parents from the North – West who spoke during a survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) added that their children were eager to see the animals live.
Some of the parents including those in Sokoto metropolis and environs have sought for the establishment of zoos to tackle the challenge.
On his own part, Sokoto State Commissioner for Fishery and Livestock, Prof. Abdulkadir Junadu, said government intended satisfying the request of the parents and other members of the public.
However, Junadu also urged corporate organisations and individuals, to jointly establish zoos in the state.
Residents of Katsina metropolis are also calling on their state government to establish zoos to enable them have a place for recreation, especially during weekends.
Alhaji Muhammad Imran, a civil servant, said it was unfortunate that there was no zoo in the state.
“If such a place exists in the city, people can go there during their leisure time to see animals and have some rest, especially during weekends.
“Therefore, I am appealing to the state government to establish such a place in the city so that after our busy work days, we can go with our family,” Imran said.
Another resident, Malam Suleiman Nuhu, a businessman, said there was need to establish zoos in the state, not only by the government, but also by individuals.
“I think if the government cannot do such, other individuals can make efforts. Apart from being a recreation place, it can serve as a source of revenue,” Nuhu suggested.
Some experts have attributed the decline in establishment of zoological gardens and their patronage to urbanisation and the downturn in the country’s economy.
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The experts and operators also said that the huge expenses involved in managing zoos had discouraged even the authorities, just as the ones available never received the desired financial attention.
According to them, government and private individuals prefer to invest in other hospitality businesses with less risks and high profit that require less management expertise.
They noted that the profit in managing a zoo was not worth the effort considering the huge capital investment in the business and the manpower stress.
In Birnin Kebbi, residents called for the establishment of a zoo park at Zaria Kala-Kala village to serve as a tourist hub and help boost internally generated revenue.
NAN learnt that although the state has no zoo, Zaria Kala-Kala village in Bagudo Local Government Area has been a grazing spot for stray wild animals that feed on farmlands of villagers occasionally.
The village head of Zaria Kala-Kala, Alhaji Muhammad Barti made the appeal for the establishment of the zoo, on behalf of his subjects.
“Though we have no knowledge of protected species and wild animals that are from Nigeria and those that are not, it is important to have a zoo here.
“This measure will enable the animals are kept in an enclosure for the state government to generate revenue through tourism, rather than allowing them depend on our crops.
“We had three stray elephants that had been pasturing on farmlands in tranquility for about two years, that is from 2018 to 2020,” Barti said.
Malam Rabiu Mustapha, a resident of the area and graduate of Zoology from Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, said that zoo, not games reserve, should be established for the animals.
“Zoo is a monument to a long-standing tradition of people’s fascination with non-human nature.
“Since the early societies of the Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese, wild animals have been maintained in captivity in order to satisfy human curiosity with exotica,” Mustapha said.
